Many people live and work in relatively compact spaces due to the population density that comes with urbanization and population growth. Fortunately, small and compact spaces can be made to appear more pleasant and spacious by the appropriate use of lighting technology. Well-illuminated walls and ceilings are perceived as being more pleasant, creating more spacious environments, and they are known to positively affect mood and subjective performance. Wall-washing lighting effects, in particular, are perceived as visually comforting such that a space that has brightly illuminated walls is more likely to obtain a high lighting quality appraisal than one that does not have wall-washing. Thus, the lighting quality of a space can play a key role in a person's overall satisfaction with that space.
The comfort and productivity in office environments can also be increased by introducing an appropriate balance between the office's ambient light and its functional light levels. For example, the functional light level on a work surface (e.g., a desk) can be decreased if the ambient light used for wall-washing or downlighting is set at a sufficient intensity level. In other words, when the ambient light levels are relatively high, the space is brighter, and people are less likely to use desk lamps or other such functional lighting elements.
Digital lighting technologies, i.e. illumination based on semiconductor light sources, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), offer a viable alternative to traditional fluorescent, HID, and incandescent lamps. Functional advantages and benefits of LEDs include high energy conversion and optical efficiency, durability, lower operating costs, and many others. Recent advances in LED technology have provided efficient and robust full-spectrum lighting sources that enable a variety of lighting effects in many applications. Some of the fixtures embodying these sources feature a lighting module, including one or more LEDs capable of producing different colors, e.g. red, green, and blue, as well as a processor for independently controlling the output of the LEDs in order to generate a variety of colors and color-changing lighting effects.
Lighting panels, e.g. ceiling tiles, can be equipped with LED lighting elements for downlighting. While conventional ceiling tiles of this type can be used to illuminate some of the wall surface, most of the light distribution is typically aimed downwardly toward the (horizontal) floor surface such that the ceiling/wall interface is unevenly illuminated. However, when lighting is directly aimed at a wall surface, the lights often produce reflected hotspots and an annoying glare. If the owner of the space has the means, conventional (and upscale) wall-washing systems can be installed to create a more pleasant atmosphere. The light distribution is controlled by using separate luminaries that require advanced control infrastructures. As a result, conventional wall-washing systems are expensive to make, require additional space, and are also expensive to install. Accordingly, there are scant downlighting and wall-washing lighting systems currently available that provide the typical user with an effective downlighting and wall-washing solution at a reasonable budget.
Thus, there is a need in the art for an inexpensive and energy-efficient lighting solution that evenly illuminates the wall and the ceiling. There is also a need in the art for an inexpensive wall-washing solution that evenly and uniformly illuminates the entire surface of a vertical wall without glare or reflected hotspots.